As of right now, I'm on the fence about whether I'm going to use "Midnight in Paris" or "Grapes of Wrath"; I am going to use the formalist approach, and use the 2004 film "Collateral" to stand in as my outline until I figure out which film would make a better argument. I will update this blog when I have selected my in class movie.
The moment I would analyze from "Collateral" concerns the assassination of the Jazz trumpeter.
On the surface, "Collateral" is an intense thriller with some intellectual commentary intermixed. Delving deeper, it can be argued that the movie revolves around two incredibly dynamic characters, Max and Vincent. Using the Formalist approach, I would narrate the Trumpeter's assassination to show it's profound showcase of Vincent's emotions and then compare them to Max.
Paragraph 1: Background info and Leadup
Assuming the reader knows the movie intricately would be a mistake, so I need to set up the scene by giving a brief synopsis of the film leading up to my "moment", and provide sufficient context so the reader can understand my analysis by knowing where I am in the movie. This cannot be too long, for it would border on simple synopsis and not analysis. This paragraph is merely a platform for the rest of the essay's analysis.
Paragraph 2: Vincent's background and Growth thus far
In order for the reader to know just how significant this scene is for Vincent, they need something to contrast it against. This can be accomplished by describing Vincent's actions thus far in the film and analyzing them into his character. For example, his first assassination shows just how numb he is to killing. However, he is not a pathological killer, and even seems to possess morals and can intellectually justify the reasons for his work.
Paragraph 3: Vincent's identification and brief Stoicism lapse
Vincent's soft spot for Jazz music and knowledge of music history get him involved in a conversation with a Jazz club owner, Daniel. After a short while, Vincent reveals Daniel to be just another target, but proposes to quiz Daniel in exhange for his life. After Max and Daniel plead for his life, Vincent shoots Daniel in the head, and catches his face as it falls limply to the table. The next shot is VERY important: it shows Vincent's face contorting as his conscience contorts his face, filling him with guilt over the killing. This paints Vincent in a new light, showing that deep beneath his cold murderous mentality lies a respect for someone who shares his love of music.
Paragraph 4: Max's and Vincent's symbiotic relationship
Throughout the entire movie, Max and Vincent can't seem to lose each other. Through scenes like the Jazz club, the movie shows that both Max and Vincent's dynamism are fed off each other; Vincent's subconscious aruges the utility vs. morality of his killings, while Vincent's forward and confident manner gives Max the courage to do what he couldn't in the beginning of the film.
Okay, I can see where you're going with this. You can use Perkins' analysis as support for why you should include a plot summary. Now, just work on finding the right academic sources to lend credibility for each of your sections. Don't forget, you are mainly arguing FOR a specific approach, then proving how your approach works via an analysis. Thus, your entire essay does not need to be only analysis.
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